Formula E drivers Sacha Fenestraz, Norman Nato in awe of Greenko renewable energy project in Kurnool

KURNOOL: The electric car revolution is building momentum around the world and India is set to join this fast-growing movement with the first-ever ABB FIA Formula E World Championship race scheduled to take place in the country on February 11.

Ahead of this, the Nissan Formula E Team drivers visited an Integrated Renewable Energy Project (IREP) by one of the world's leading energy transition and decarbonisation solution companies and the title sponsor for E-Prix, Greenko.

Soon after the Nissan Formula E Team drivers Norman Nato and Sacha Fenestraz arrived in Hyderabad, they paid a visit to Greenko’s IREP at Kurnool. The drivers were welcomed to the facility by the company's officials, who spoke about the importance of decarbonising the sectors to reduce the world's carbon emissions. They also highlighted the company's commitment to providing renewable energy storage solutions to meet the growing energy needs of the country.

Norman and Sacha were then taken on a tour of the Greenko facility and were amazed by the company's impressive 7.3 GW portfolio that spans 15 different States.

Sacha was particularly fascinated by the scale of Greenko’s ambitious project and all the work already carried out in order to build Greenko’s Integrated Renewable Energy Project at Kurnool.

When asked about the first ever Formula E race in India at Hyderabad, Sacha Fenestraz, said, “I’m really excited about being in Hyderabad. None of the drivers have raced here before, so it levels the playing field a bit for me as a rookie. I’m improving and learning at every race, getting accustomed to energy and tire management. I was pleased with the points in Diriyah, the signs have been good since the beginning of the season so we’re hoping to keep progressing and find the consistency needed to succeed in this championship. We’ve been putting in the hours to be ready for the race, getting used to the track in the simulator, so hopefully we can hit the ground running.”

Norman Nato expressed his excitement saying, “It’s always exciting to be in a new venue and discover a new track, so I’m really looking forward to the weekend. We made a lot of progress in Diriyah, Sacha did a great job to score our first points of the season and now we need to build on that to fight towards the front of the field. It’s really tight between the teams this year, but we know where we have to improve. It’s going to be hot and humid, so it will be interesting to see how it impacts the GEN3 cars. Physically it will be difficult due to the conditions, but we know what our targets are and it’s up to us to go there and achieve it.”

At the end of the visit, the drivers left with a great understanding of how renewable energy is playing a critical role in India's decarbonization journey. Norman appreciated the company's commitment to providing clean energy solutions to meet the growing energy needs of the country and its contribution towards a cleaner and more sustainable future.

Both drivers are confident that this will be a successful Formula E race, and the start of a new era of electric racing in India.

About Norman Nato: Nato is back with a full-time drive for Season 9, returning to the championship with Nissan Formula E Team and looking to recapture the race winning form that took him to a debut victory in the final race of Season 7. Since entering professional motorsport in 2006, Nato has worked his way up the ladder, finishing runner-up in F4 Eurocup 1.6 back in 2010 and in Formula Renault 2.0 Alps in 2012. For the 2022-23 season, Nato returned to a full-time Formula E seat partnering with Sacha Fenestraz at Nissan Formula E Team.

About Sacha Fenestraz: Sacha is a Nissan Formula E Team driver with a track record of victories and titles in some of the world’s most prestigious racing championships, including Super GT and Super Formula in Japan.‍ He made his competitive debut at just seven-years-old and went on to race at the highest levels of international karting. Graduating to single-seaters, Sacha asserted his dominance in a variety of junior categories where he fine-tuned his racecraft. In each, he has a long list of podiums, race wins and pole positions, making him a tenacious racing driver.‍